Violence, fires, mar spring semester
By GREG SORBER
Kansan Staff Writer
It was as if the University of Kansas were sitting on a volcano waiting for it to erupt. Several times in the past month it seemed that fissures opened on the Hill and let fire try to consume the campus.
The first crack in the unusually dormant Hill occurred the morning of April 11. Fire swept through the top floor of the Kappa Sigma fraternity, 1045 Emery Road. All 55 men in the house escaped injury. But nearly 20 men lost all they had, some escaping the blaze only with what they had on.
One member, John Turcotte, Chattanooga, Tenn., freshman, said, "I lost everything except a bottle of Jack Daniels. I'm wearing some DU jeans, Jayhawk Tower sandals, and the T-shirt I was sleeping in. I lost books, money, clothes—just everything."
Damage was confined to the attic and the third floor but the east section of roofing was ripped open by the blaze. The cause of the fire is still undetermined as are most of the other blazes that have occurred and are still under investigation.
And the Hill continued to rumble in the night.
Four days later, April 15, the Gambles store at 930 Massachusetts Street was gutted in a three hour fire which sent flames 50 feet into the night air.
A Lawrence Fire Department snorkel truck that had to be towed to the scene because of an inoperative power train hindered efforts to control the fire. Another setback occurred when firemen lost control of a hose after a supporting brace on a hook and ladder truck collapsed.
Damage to the Gambles store was estimated at $500,000.
Five days later the Hill opened again spewing flames high above the Kansas Union.
The light from the fire danced on the bellowing smoke as an audience of almost 2,000 persons watched the blaze which caused an estimated $2 million damage.
Lawrence Fire Chief Fred Sanders said the fire started on the third floor near the Pine Room. "The man in the Union said there was a definite explosion," Sanders said. "It blew plaster off the ceiling and tore on the elevator door."
Sanders said, "In my opinion the fire was set."
Water flowed in cascades down the stairways of the Union and flooded lower levels at ankle depths as students helped save valuable oil paintings, art objects, and furnishings from the fire.
Nearly 200 students helped that night. They aided firemen in combating the fire by dragging hoses, carrying oxygen tanks and equipment where they were needed. Many brought doughnuts and coffee for the firemen and helped police keep crowds from hindering efforts of the firemen.
Officers to get 15 per cent raise
The County Commission has announced a pay increase of about 15 per cent for Douglas County sheriff officers. The pay hike was effective May 1.
The commissioners agreed to raise the salary of all county officers, with the exception of the sheriff, with the understanding that overtime pay would be also stopped which amounted to about $1.000.
County commission chairman Travis Glass said the pay raise affects about 10 officers by about $500-600 a month, and is within the sheriff's budget.
Glass said that the decision gives a substantial increase in pay rather than add extra personnel. Rather than budgeting for an additional man in the office he said he would spend funds for the present personnel.
Frank Burge. Union director, issued a statement the day after the fire. In it he said, "I am tremendously impressed and grateful to the students for their immediate concern and actions during the fire." Burge said the students saved more than $50,000 worth of art objects and furniture.
The fire started about 10:30 p.m.
Monday night and was brought
under control at 2 a.m. Tuesday
morning. After sifting through the
rubble, damage was found to be
confined to the roof over the original
portion of the building which
was built in 1926 and to the east
and west rooms on the third floor.
The roof was completely destroyed and collapsed onto the Ballroom floor. The interiors of the Pine and English Rooms were gutted and although the Ballroom floor had no fire damage it was scarred by water and debris.
Chancellor E. Laurence Chalmers Jr. was in Washington, D.C. at a conference of University presidents and administrators at the time of the Union fire.
KANSAN
Later he said, "It certainly seems that the three attempts at arson on the KU campus on April 8 and the three actual fires in the community the last three weeks seems to suggest that it is a pyromaniac at work. I do think, however, that it is the work of one or two persons."
Then a lid was clamped on the Hill. Governor Robert Docking ordered a dusk to dawn curfew on Lawrence, and it was like putting a lid on a pressure cooker.
May 13
1970
Fire bombings and sniper fire marked the three curfew nights. Police were harassed on their patrols by boards studded with nails in the street and piano wire strung neck high in alleys. Firemen were always on a fire run. Most fires were put out quickly with little damage but an abandoned school building located at Seventh and Lyons Streets was completely destroyed.
On the second day of curfew a fire was discovered in the Military Science building. The fire was restricted to the rifle range and quickly brought under control.
Howard Dean Decker, 24. an employee of the Buildings and
THE CONCORD SHOP
- Stretcher frames,
ready-made and parts
Grounds department was charged with second degree arson in connection with the Military Science building fire.
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Thurs. afternoon
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844 E.13th VI 3-3877
There were many explanations and theories for the tumultuous state on the Hill. Many students thought the arson attempts and fires stemmed from the recent visit of Abbie Hoffman. Others thought it was an outgrowth of the confrontations at Lawrence High School. Another theory linked the turmoil with concern for "academic freedom" and the
Many people throughout the state applauded the action taken by the Governor. Closer to the University, several concerned Lawrence residents started a Douglas County Reward fund to aid law enforcement agencies in finding the alleged arsonists of the Union and other buildings.
postponing of the promotions of Professor Lawrence Velvet and Associate Professor Fredric Litto. There were also rumors of "outside" agitators.
On campus faculty members
were asked to serve on a curfew watch as a precautionary measure. Local businessmen armed themselves and stayed in their stores during the curfew nights.
When the curfew was lifted there was an audible easing of the tension on the Hill, but like a volcano that has shown activity, it is being watched closely. There is a fear it could flare again. A student said soon after the curfew was over, "the situation which caused someone to burn the Union is still with us."
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